The Villa Times - 01/05/2008

The Villa have got the flag for the Holte End ready to unveil on Saturday in the massive European chasing match against Wigan Athletic. As a support driven initiative, it is great to see that the club responded and helped get this project off the ground, if we'd all been left to it I reckon we'd still be arguing over the design ! In order for this to now work, those in the Holte upper and lower, have got to try to get fully involved because the flag is a whopper and is the biggest flag out of all the Premier League clubs. Full article and images: Click Here

Gabriel Agbonlahor has spoken of his fellow young Villan, Ashley Young saying on the official site: 'I'm pleased for Ashley. He's done well all season and his set-pieces have been outstanding. He's probably been the best set-piece taker in the league and he deserves all the recognition. I get on really well with Ash and that helps on the pitch as well. It's not just us two, quite a few of the players are close and the team spirit is close.'

Curtis Davies has been speaking in the Mirror and says he can understand why Gareth Barry might want to move in order to get Champions League Football. With Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea all linked, Davies says: 'It is down to Gareth and it would be hypocritical of me to say otherwise. I was captain at West Brom last year and chose to move on to progress my career so whatever Gareth is thinking, if he did want to leave, I could understand. ' He does add that as a Villa player he really hopes that Barry will stay but does admit for us the CL is an aspiration, for the top four it is reality. Curtis, shhhhhhh a bit will you!?!?!

Curtis has also said he doesn't regret leaving the Baggies: 'I've got no regrets about leaving West Brom.' See told you! He also added, 'My reasons for leaving were to play Premier League football and to push on and to try and get into the England squad. I've done that, albeit in a limited number of Premier League games so far, but from those limited games I managed to get into the England squad of 30 for the match with Switzerland.'

Blimey, this has become the Curtis Davies Times! The Villa defender has been made an official Ambassador for Grass Roots Football LIVE, which takes place on 30 May to 1 June at the NEC, Birmingham. Official Site

Although a spectator himself of late, Curtis Davies is looking forward to seeing his team mates secure a European Place for next season. Davies has been out since rupturing his Achilles tendon at Arsenal two months ago, but he's convinced he'll return to the team with European fixtures on the cards. Speaking on the official site, he said that everyone in the camp was confident that we could secure 5th Place in our last two matches, but nobody is expecting Wigan to be a rollover. Full quotes: Davies Looking Forward To Next Season

Ashley Young has spoken of our chances of getting European football saying: 'We said at the start of the season that we wanted to finish in a European place and it is in our hands now. Last weekend we showed that we have a never-say-die attitude. We keep going until the end.'

Gabriel Agbonlahor have been called up to the England Under-21 squad for the friendly against Wales on May 15 in Wrexham

Villa are being linked to 23-year-old German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger because Martin O'Neill has been to a few Bayern Munich games recently. Juventus and Inter are also being linked. Hope we don't get him, he might be brilliant but I'll never learn to spell that surname!

Oh no! The bearded wonder has picked up a bug and might not be fit for his final home game send off. Olof Mellberg has been forced to miss training today but Martin O'Neill says he'll give the defender as much time as he can to recover. Quotes from MON: Oh No! Mellberg A Doubt For His Farewell Game

Academy central defender and captain Ciaran Clark has been called up for the England squad for next month's qualifying for the European U19 Championships.

The Daily Mirror claim that Spurs defender Pascal Chimbonda will be allowed to leave White Hart Lane and Villa + Portsmouth are apparently interested in the 29-year-old Frenchman.

Craig Gardner has suffered a setback to his recuperation from his thigh injury. 'Craig raced back because he wanted to try and be fit for Birmingham. But we've decided to just take him out of it and get him rehabbed properly. It was all down to his own willingness, commendable as it was, to try and get back fit for the games.'

Martin O'Neill was spotted at the Ricoh Arena last weekend with West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray. As we reported yesterday, this led to links to Wolves goalie Wayne Hennessey. However the Villa boss said in the Birmingham Mail that the trip was just part of his job. 'If we are playing on a Sunday then I will always go to a game when the opportunity arises on a Saturday. Coventry is just down the road. After training it can take me less than half-an-hour to get there. I wouldn't read much more into it than that. It is my job to attend games. Don't worry, I do get time.'

Thought for the day: It is said that gentlemen prefer blondes. I hope then that lesbians prefer brunettes, otherwise we might have to organise some kind of rota system.

Getting CD back will be a huge boost. The guy was looking like a genuine quality central defender before The Emirates injury. Two things we want to see on Saturday, the new flag, and more importantly, Olof wearing the claret and blue at VP for the last time.